Muscle Fatigue
by ActuallyMarina
Summary: Your heart is a muscle too, you know. (Minako/Rio, cross-post from AO3)


"This sucks…"

Minako peered over her friend's knees, only to see that Rio had covered her face with both hands. They were in the middle of doing sit-ups before practicing some new volleyball drills, but the junior captain clearly didn't have her heart in it today. Her long black ponytail was splayed out across the gym floor, and it didn't look like she was getting up anytime soon.

"Fifty-four sit-ups isn't too bad," Minako replied, offering the other girl a sympathetic smile. She let go of her well-worn sneakers, figuring she probably didn't need a spotter anymore. "When I first joined, I could only do about thirty. My stomach hurt so bad, I thought I was going to cry…"

Rio let out a halfhearted laugh, hands dropping limply down to her sides. She was looking pointedly toward the ceiling.

Aside from the two girls, the gym was empty. That part was familiar. It felt a lot like when Rio and the club members were fighting, but all of that ended about a month ago. She didn't seem eager to leave with everyone else, so Minako stayed behind to see if anything was wrong. Like usual, that turned into more exercise.

"Are you okay, Rio?" She tried filling the silence once more, though instantly wishing she'd thought of something better to say. Trying to pry someone's problems out of them with dumb questions was a great way to push them away. She tried again. "I mean… they're not giving you a hard time, right? Everyone seemed like they were having fun today."

"No, you're right. They were having fun." She crossed her arms, shoulders raised in obvious discomfort. Her mouth pressed in a hard line, which it always did when she got upset. Still no eye contact. "They won't stop bothering me about how I should go after Kenji, or what kind of clothes would make him 'fall for me'. I'm just… tired of hearing it. I told them I don't need a boyfriend."

At the mention of her classmate, Minako nearly let out an irritated groan. He was… a little much, in her opinion. It was hard not to feel like Rio could only put up with him because they were friends for so long, but it was none of her business.

"That must be tough. Maybe we can think of a way to distract them?" The brunette laid down on the cold gym floor as well. If they weren't going to leave, they could at least get comfortable. "I could tell them I know where some of the senior boys workout on the weekends? And that they do it shirtless!"

They were lying close enough to each other that their shoulders touched. Minako didn't even notice until the other girl made a sloppy attempt to casually put some space between them. For some reason, it kind of hurt her feelings.

The two of them were quiet for a few minutes after that. Minako's eyes searched the near-cavernous ceiling for spots where volleyballs had gotten stuck, but she didn't move much otherwise. On the other hand, Rio couldn't seem to stop fidgeting. It was weird to not know what she was thinking.

If she wanted to be left alone, it would be nicer to just say so. As the silence dragged on and nothing else was being said, Minako began to wonder if she should go back to the dorm. Around that same time, Rio finally found her voice again.

"...Do you still not like anyone?"

The question was strained, almost sad. When Minako turned her head toward her friend, she was met with a tearful, but determined gaze. How many times had she seen her like this? The way she wore her heart on her sleeve was infectious. It made her feel like crying too, even when there was nothing to cry about.

"I-I don't know…" She wasn't sure what else to say. The first time they had this conversation, Rio seemed so relieved when neither of them had a boy they liked. "Is that important? If you want me to stop talking like the rest of the team does, I will."

It was immediately obvious that the other girl wasn't yet satisfied. Their respective gazes stayed locked, and Minako's mind kept reeling to figure out why. She usually didn't have this much trouble reading someone. Their relationship was strong up to this point. She knew it was, but it was quickly getting strained to the point of breaking in front of her very eyes.

Why did Rio feel so strongly about this?

"Oh…"

The easiest answer was usually the right one. Minako fretted over her newfound knowledge for a moment, opening her mouth to say something before quickly closing it instead. Rio was wiping each of her eyes carefully with the back of her hand, trying to neatly manage the few tears that threatened to fall. She had sat up, prepared to leave.

"R-Rio, wait!" Minako quickly sat up as well, fumbling to kneel beside her friend. She still didn't know what to do, but time was running short. If they left here feeling defeated, it was likely they'd never touch this conversation topic again.

This is an important choice…

Rio was glaring at her when Minako took hold of her shoulders and pressed their lips together. She made a small, surprised noise that got muffled between their mouths, and her muscles all tensed. The rigidness melted away after a few seconds. They were kissing on the scuffed gym floor while the sun began to set outside the large skylight on the ceiling. It felt appropriate, in a funny-but-mostly-significant kind of way. The majority of their most heartfelt conversations had taken place in the same spot.

Minako pulled away first. Her face was warm, but there was nothing quite like the satisfaction of knowing you made the right decision when it really counted. Maybe it was her imagination, but Rio looked similarly pleased with how volleyball practice had ended.

"We should put the equipment away…"

They were quiet for several seconds before Rio leaned her head affectionately against Minako's shoulder. She looked fatigued, but perfectly happy. Neither of them felt like moving yet.

"...Nah, let's not."


End file.
